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Inspired by a car-free seaside town in Slovenia, the eyecatching Bigfish is an agile urban warrior designed to cover ground, all while tucking into the smallest spaces when ‘folded’. Mark Sutton discusses the brand’s addition to the Avocet portfolio with the brand’s marketing manager Robert Logie…
Can you give us a history of the brand and its inspirations?
The inspiration was simple. The Bigfish concept originated when the inventor Niko Mihelic was at a seaside town in Slovenia where no cars were allowed, and it occurred to him how great it would be to have a bike with him.
But he wanted a bike that could fit easily into a small car, and folded out to the proportions of a full-sized bike, as it was crucial to him that there should be no compromise in the riding quality.
The second important consideration was that it should be so easy to fold that you wouldn’t think twice about doing it. It’d be as easy as tying your shoelaces.
Furthermore, the fold should not break the frame, which is why we have two frame parts coming together, rather than a hinge. This not only gives sturdiness, it also leads to a narrow folded package that can be wheeled along with you as you walk.
These were all the most important components when the first sketches were put together, and they remain vital to Bigfish today.
You recently linked with Avocet – what made you decide to link with a distribution partner?
This is a European bike, and the concept and backing comes from Slovenia, with the bike being made in Italy. We wanted to work with a company that’s ‘on-the-ground’ in the UK and that has great relationships with dealers around the country.
When Avocet visited our booth at Eurobike we could tell that they immediately ‘got’ the concept and their expertise and passion for promoting Bigfish shone through. This is what made us want to work with them.
Will Avocet carry spares and handle warranty?
Spares will be available through Avocet, yes. All parts are held in Europe, so we can get things out very quickly. They will also handle warranties.
Bigfish has a number of unique selling points over competitors, can you tell us about these?
Most importantly the ease of the fold, the proportions and the hinge-free design.
The bike’s retro styling and satisfying ‘click-clack’ sound it makes during a fold are what personally enjoy about the Bigfish. I challenge anyone to take the Bigfish out for a couple of hours and not have people staring and commenting on it. One of our customers in Cambridge even asked us to send him Bigfish business cards as he gets so many enquiries from passers-by on his commute.
Customers also love that the flat fold makes it so easy to wheel the folded bike along with them as they walk. This also gives the bike a very small footprint, meaning you can hold it next to you, into your body shape, as you ride on the train.
Will the line ever expand past the one signature bike?
Absolutely. The Bigfish you see here is only ‘mark one’ version of the build. We plan a major launch of a new line at the Eurobike show later this year.
When folded, what are the dimensions of a BigFish?
The bike measures 65 x 101 x 30cm.
What accessories are available to go with the main bike purchase?
At present you can buy a basket/bag and attachment, as well as a hometrainer. We will also have simple coverbags coming out very soon. We will continue to add to the accessory range over time.
What colours are available?
We have colours for all tastes. The matte black is the traditional stylish option, ‘Metallic Pink’ is very feminine and becoming increasingly popular, ‘Champagne Gold’ tends to chosen by the older generation (though not exclusively, I hasten to add). Finally, the ‘Awesome Orange’ is the urban high-visibility cool one.
How do you plan to promote the brand over the next year?
One of the key events for us will be Eurobike, where we will take a large booth and launch the new line. Our aim will be to seek the best partners to work with in the future development of the bike, and to find further untapped key territories.
Following us on Facebook is one of the best ways of keeping in touch with what we’re up to, and we increasingly try and promote our dealers through these channels.
Avocet will also be promoting the brand to their network of dealers over the next few weeks, offering dealer incentives, and we will have a presence at the October Cycle show alongside their stall.
But our company has a history of thinking in different ways. This led to our involvement with the Bill Clinton ‘Global Initiative’ in the US.
Finally, with the next generation Bigfish we expect to promote the bike through multi-channel marketing campaigns, including TV.
Avocet Sports: 01617 278608
